Dish Seeks to Have Distant-Signal Injunction Lifted

July 1, 2010

WASHINGTON: Dish
Network has asked the Federal Communications Commission to free it from a court
injunction involving distant broadcast signals. In response, the FCC has opened
a docket for feedback on Dish’s commitment to provide local TV station in all
210 U.S. markets. The direct broadcast satellite operator made the pledge to
Congress in order to get the 2006 court injunction lifted. The injunction
prohibits Dish from importing distant signals into local TV markets.
Importation is otherwise allowed in areas where households cannot receive
in-market signals over-the-air.

Congress in May renewed the legislation governing satellite carriage of
broadcast signals. The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010
requires Dish to carry local signals in all 210 U.S. markets to get the
injunction lifted.

“Waiver of this injunction would allow Dish to retransmit the signals of
out-of-market television stations to eligible subscribers, including providing
subscribers in all local markets in the country with out-of market network
affiliates if there are no affiliates of that network available in-market,” the
FCC notice
states.

The FCC has to verify that Dish is carrying local TV station signals to at
least 90 percent of households in all designated market areas. Dish’s application
to have the injunction lifted must be answered by the FCC within 90 days. The
commission seeks comments and replies by July 30 on the correlating Docket No.
10-124. Comments can be filed electronically at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/.
-- Deborah D. McAdams